Annual Apple Tasting Tour kicks off in Wayne County

Friday

Sep 27, 2013 at 1:01 PM

This October marks Wayne County's 16th annual Apple Tasting Tour. Families and apple lovers alike are invited to come spend time outdoors this fall, enjoying the crisp autumn air, taking in the colors of the season, picking their favorite apples and discovering all the different orchards and apple-related businesses that make up this vibrant agricultural region.The "Apple Tasting Tour Challenge" runs through October with 15 participating farms and farm markets. During the "Tasting Weekend," October 11 through 14, visitors can learn about the many varieties of apples and taste test to find their favorites. Each of the 15 tour stops will celebrate apples and the harvest season in their own unique way.Two of the 15 are new stops on the 2013 tour - they are new Wayne County businesses. Apple Country Spirits in Williamson is a new distillery on a fourth-generation family farm making vodka using apples from their orchard. Those over 21 may sample the distillery's first product, Tree Vodka, during the tasting weekend.Kitchen's Country Market in North Rose is back in the Kitchen family after over 20 years. The market includes fresh produce, dairy and convenience products as well as a full deli with soups and salads, baked goods and other treats. Apple tasters can enjoy a stop for coffee and hot chocolate, and lunch, and plenty of apples at the market during October. For the Tasting Weekend, Kitchen's Country Market will have wine and beer tastings, and live music.While visiting any of the 15 participating farms and farm markets, people can get their "tour cards" stamped to enter to win one of four Gift Baskets. Cards are available at all the tour locations, online or by calling Wayne County Tourism at 800-527-6510.The 15 Apple Tasting Tour participating businesses are: Apple Country Spirits, 3274 Eddy Road, Williamson; Apple Shed, 3391 Maple Ridge Road, Newark; Brownell's Farm Market, 5247 East Lake Road, Williamson; Burnaps Farm Market & Garden Café, 7277 Maple Avenue, Sodus; Grandview Farm, 1040 Canandaigua Road, Macedon; Heluva Good Cheese Country Store, 6152 Barclay Road, Sodus; Kitchen's Country Market, 10006 Ridge Road, North Rose; Lagoner's Farm Market, 6895 Lake Ave., Williamson; Long Acre Farms & JD Wine Cellars, 1342 Eddy Road, Macedon; Mason Farms and Farm Market, 3135 Ridge Road West, Williamson; Mills Fruit Farm, 10979 Ridge Road, Wolcott; Morgan's Farm Market, 3821 Cory Corners Road, Marion; Orbaker's Fruit Farm Inc., 3451 Lake Road, Williamson; Thorpe Vineyard, 8150 Chimney Heights Blvd., Wolcott; Young Sommer Winery, 4287 Jersey Road, Williamson.Once on the tour, visitors can get information and directions to each site via the Tour's mobile locator. The mobile locator is part of the tour's website, www.appletastingtour.com.